Seeded Coffee Braid

Here, I’ve prepared a tweet for you: “Wonderful egg braid w/ #coffee flour, super seeds & ancient grains #quinoa #millet #buckwheat #hemp #amaranth #chia #flax @bluebowlbreads“. You are welcome.

This recipe uses two products I picked up at Trader Joe’s: Baker Josef’s Coffee Flour and Trader Joe’s Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend.

Baker Joe’s Coffee Flour

Trader Joe’s Super Seeds & Ancient Grains Blend

Makes the dough very dark

All sorts of goodness

The coffee flour produces a great dark color, but not as much flavor as I had hoped. Next time I make the recipe, I’ll try substituting the liquid with some coffee – or possibly adding a tablespoon of ground coffee directly to the batch. My office mates seemed to enjoy it – only crumbs remained on the breakroom table when I went to clean up at the end of the day. I’ll take that as a silent vote of approval.

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Seeded Coffee Braid

Here, I've prepared a tweet for you: "Bread w/ coffee flour, seeds & ancient grain #quinoa #millet #buckwheat #hemp #amaranth #chia #flax @bluebowlbreads http://wp.me/p8eHvi-xU". You are welcome.

Servings 1 braided loaf

Author Mark Oppenneer

Ingredients

• 1 scant tablespoon (or 1 ¼-ounce packages) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk or water (about 110 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or shortening
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup Baker Josef's Coffee Flour
• ¼ cup Trader Joe's Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 cups unbleached flour
• EGG WASH - one large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the milk (or water) to soften.
2. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add softened yeast, and the coffee flour, seed and grain blend, and 1 cup of the unbleached flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. This is a sponge which has the consistency of a pancake batter rather than a bread dough. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and a tightly woven towel. Let rise for 30 minutes. It should be light and full of tiny bubbles.
3. Stir the sponge to deflate it, add salt and flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
4. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
5. Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into thirds. Shape each third into a rope 20 inches long. Lay the ropes side-by-side on a well-seasoned baking sheet. Begin braiding in the center of the loaf for a more balanced braid.
7. Place the right rope over the center rope, then the left rope over the center, the right over the center, left over the center, etc., continuing until the ropes are too short to braid. Pinch all three ends together and tuck them under.
8. To braid the other end of the loaf, turn it so the braided portion is at the top and the ropes are at the bottom. Place the center rope over the right rope, then center rope over the left, center over the right, center over the left, etc., until the ends are too short to braid. Pinch all three ends together and tuck them under.
9. Cover with a towel and let rise 30 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
11. Just before baking, brush the egg wash lightly over the braid. Always start at the top then brush the sides of the loaf. If you start on the sides, the glaze runs towards the pan and leaves an unsightly ring around the edge of your loaf.
12. Bake for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the braid reaches 190 degrees.
13. Immediately remove from the baking sheet and cool on a rack to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.